Colombo: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said today (November 14) that peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels should go ahead despite peace broker Norway suspending its role due to her feud with the Prime Minister.

Kumaratunga, as the acting Defence Minister, ordered security forces to extend full co-operation to the Scandinavian force monitoring the ceasefire in place since February 2002, the President's spokesman said.

"Her Excellency has reiterated that the ceasefire agreement continues to be in place and that negotiations between the Government and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) should continue," her spokesman Mano Tittawella said.

Norwegian Deputy Prime Minister Vidar Helgesen said earlier today that Oslo was suspending its mediation because it needed "clarity" on whether Kumaratunga or Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was in charge of the peace process.

Kumaratunga has accused both Wickremesinghe and Norway of conceding too much to Tamil Tiger rebels.

Agencies